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Tuesday, January 21, 2014

I’m not
keeping up with this blog very well lately, due in part to the fact that I’m
spending a lot of time putting our garage back together after a fire we had in
October. It seems appropriate that when I pull myself away from that task it’s
to write about flame retardants. Like so many chemicals before them, they are
an example of a good idea gone very wrong.

The History

The
widespread use of chemical flame retardants began in 1975, when the state of California adopted a law
requiring children’s products and “seating furninture” (couches, loveseats and
chairs) to meet certain flammability standards. Fill material in furniture was
required to withstand a small flame for at least twelve seconds. In order to
comply with the law, manufacturers began adding chemicals, mostly those known
as Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (“PDBEs”) to their products. A typical sofa can contain up to
two pounds of chemical flame retardants.

Because California is so large, manufacturers who don’t wish to
be shut out of California’s market often
change their entire product lines in order to meet California’s requirements. This was the case
with fire standards. Most furniture and children’s products in the U.S. are manufactured to meet California’s requirements and contain large
amounts of PDBEs or similar chemicals. Flame retardants can also be found in electronics,
insulation, carpet padding, children’s clothing, automobiles, crib mattresses,
adult mattresses manufactured before 2007, and other products.

The Problem

Unfortunately,
chemical fire retardants have been linked to a wide range of negative health
and environmental effects. The
Environmental Protection Agency notes that PDBEs may be “persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic to both humans
and the environment.” They note that
since they are not chemically bound to the products in which they are used,
they may easily migrate from them.

The problem
of PDBEs leaching from products means that the chemicals accumulate in the home
environment. Duke University reports on research showing that the concentration of flame retardants in
household dust is as concentrated as that found in sewage sludge. Flame
retardants can be found in the blood of virtually every American, in much higher
levels than found in residents of other countries. Children often have higher
levels than do adults. The Environmental Working Groupnotes that a 2008 study found levels of fire retardants in children’s blood to
be three times higher than those of their mothers.

PBDEs are
chemically similar to thyroid hormones and can mimic them in the human body. Thyroid
hormones are important for brain development and metabolism and many of the
health problems associated with flame retardants relate to these areas. Human
and animal studies have found the following health problems associated with PDBEs
and other chemical flame retardants:

Decreased IQ

Poor attention

Hyperactivity

Memory problems

Impaired fine-motor control

Weight gain

Anxiety

Thyroid abnormalities

Early Puberty

Abnormal reproductive cycles

Reduced fertility

Lower birth weight

Birth defects

DNA mutation

Increased cancer risk

Increased diabetes risk

Because
house pets share the home environment, they are as affected by chemicals in the
home as human residents are. Seattle’s
KOMO Newsreports
that flame retardants may be killing cats. The article notes that in recent
decades, millions of indoor cats have developed hyperthyroidism, which is often
fatal, and that “significant association” has been found between the illness
and flame retardants.

Small Victories

There’s a
small bit of good news. Recently, California
has changed the way in which flammability is measured. The 12-second flame test
has been replaced by a “smolder” test, based on one proposed by the American
Society for Testing and Materials. It should be easier for manufacturers to
meet the new requirements without using flame retardants. They will still be
allowed to use the chemicals, but the hope is that increasing numbers will
choose not to do so.

Although
the original law was undoubtedly well-intentioned, there is little data to
indicate that flame retardants have significantly reduced fire risk. Treated
products still burn, and the smoke they produce when they do may be highly
toxic. Many firefighters have joined the campaign to reduce flame retardant use
because of the dangers associated with inhaling chemical-laden smoke. The
Centers for Disease Control notes that firefighters have significantly higher rates of many types of
cancer.

How to Reduce Your Exposure

Flame
retardants are difficult to avoid, but there are steps people can take to
reduce their exposure, including the following:

Avoid products made with
polyurethane foam when possible. Generally fillings made of down, wool, or
polyester are not treated with flame retardants.

Minimize your exposure to
household dust. This can mean cleaning with a damp rag or mop to avoid
spreading dust, using air purifiers and vacuums with HEPA filters, and
replacing carpet with hard surface flooring.

Wash hands often, especially
before eating. The Duke study noted that the amount of flame retardant on
toddlers’ hands was a good predictor of the levels in their blood,
suggesting that hand to mouth may be the biggest exposure pathway.

Watch what you drink. Oddly
enough, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), which is commonly found in sports
drinks and citrus sodas, was patented as a flame retardant. Many
researchers are concerned that the brominated oil may have the same
effects as other brominated chemicals like PBDE. BVO has been banned as a
food additive in Japan
and the European Union, but is allowed in the US
and Canada.

As with
other issues of product toxicity, consumers can advocate for change by creating
demand for healthier goods. When considering the purchase of new furnishings or
other products, it can be helpful to call or write the manufacturer to ask
about the use of flame retardants. If we care about the issue, manufacturers
need to know.

About Me

My family spent most of the 1990s serving in Peru as missionaries. During our time of service, my health deteriorated to the point that I could no longer continue to live there. Small exposures to a wide range of chemical triggers caused many symptoms, including debilitating pain. The condition is known as MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity). I was also eventually diagnosed with Lyme Disease and mold poisoning.
Part of the missionary task is identifying unreached people groups. After returning to the states and becoming part of the MCS world, I came to see that people with MCS belong in that category. We’re largely unseen, but there are a significant and growing number of us and we’re shut out of most churches and Christian gatherings.
MCS has taught me a lot of lessons about the chemical hazards in common, everyday products and I’d like other people not to have to learn those lessons the hard way, like I did. I’d like Christians to take the issue seriously, both for their own sakes, and the sakes of others who are currently shut out of most churches because of product choices others make. This issue matters greatly to those of us with MCS. I think it matters to God, too.